Adjustable wrench



May 13, 1924. 1,494,087

- L. WERLE ADJUSTABLE WRENCH Filed Wit. 1, 1921 7, 0 1' Lz j ig le AC/5M WWQ L Fatented May 13, T1324.

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1 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LUDWIG WERLE, a citizenof Germany, residing at Chicago,'in the county of Cool; and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAdjustable renches, o which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in adjustable wrenches.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide improved means forquickly adjustingthe wrench.

Another object is to provide an improved resilient means for yieldinglyholding the shiftable jaw in any desired position on the shank.

Another object is to provide a wrench in which the applied stressnormally holding the shiftable jaw in position is augmented by theforces exerted on the said jaw in operating the wrench.

Another object is to generally improve wrenches.

Other, further and more specific objects and advantages of the inventionwill become readily apparent, to persons skilled in the art, from aconsideration of the following description when taken in conjunctionwith the drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a side view of the wrench.

Fig. 2 is an edge view of a fragmentary portion of the wrench.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

In all the views the same reference characters are employed to indicatesimilar parts.

The shank 5 carries on one end a fixed aw 6 and on one edge a ratchet 7formed of teeth 8, that preferably incline towards the fixed jaw so thatthe stresses imparted by the shiftable jaw 9 when the wrench is in useare resisted and tend to fixedly hold. the shiftable jaw in any desiredoperative position. A holding pawl 10 is mounted within a recess betweenthe side members 1111 which are integral parts of the jaw 9, the saidholding pawl being pivoted about a pin 12. The pawl 10 is provided witha plurality of teeth 13 inclined away from the fixed jaw and so shapedand positioned that the teeth are adapted to closely engage the teeth onthe shank forming the ratchet 7. The pawl 10 is provided with a fingerpiece 14, extending rearward in. a direction sub' stantially normal tothe axis of the wrench handle or shank. The finger piece 14; terminateswith a flattened portion 15 substantially parallel to the edge 16 0f theWrench. I 1

A spring plate 17 has-one end fixed se curely in an aperture 18 in thepawl 10 and its opposite'end resiliently held against a seat 19 on thelower edge of the shiftable jaw. The plate 17 can be mounted only whenthe pin'12 is removed so as to permit the pawl 10 to be moved out of thejaw 9. Whenthe spring, plate 17 and the pin 12 are in their respectiveplaces the wrench is ready for use. i The spring plate 17 normally holdsthe pawl 10 in contact with the ratchet 7. The jaw 9 is shifted bypressing on the portion 15, thereby rotating the pawl 10 about the pin12 to the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3. In this positionthe teeth 13 of the pawl 10 completely clear the teeth 8 forming theratchet 7, thereby permitting the jaw 9, and the pawl 10 mountedthereon, to be moved along the shank to any desired position. Uponrelease of the pressure against the portion 15 the spring 17 rotates thepawl 10 until the teeth 13 and teeth 8 again engage.

The faces of the teeth adjacent to the fixed jaw are substantiallynormal to the shank so that the stress existing in the jaw 9 when in useis resisted by the teeth 8 and the jaw 9, thereby firmly held inposition, while the wrench is in use. The finger piece 14 extends backsufiiciently to permit the jaw 9 to be released by a finger or thumb ofthe'o-perators hand and permits operation and manipulation of the wrenchby the operator by use of one hand.

The piece 14: may readily be manipulated by pressure of the operatorsthumb thereagainst, while grasping the shank, so that the shiftable jawcan at the will of the operator be instantly released from its holdingposition. The spring plate 17 acts to yieldingly hold the shiftable jawin any position along the shank to which it may be moved.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided an adjustable wrench of simpleconstruction, adapted to be operated by one hand which the movable jawis yieldingly he (1 in any position on the shank relative to the fixedjaw, there being teeth on the shank of the wrench which engage similarteeth mounted on the movable jaw, said teeth being adapted to utilizethe force exerted in operating the wrench to augment the forces holdingthe movable jaw in any position to which it has been moved.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

' l. A wrench comprising a shank having a ratchet rack thereon, a fixedjaw on the shank, a shiftable jaw on the shank provided with an openingtherein, a manually operable pawl pivotally mounted in the opening inthe shiftable jaw and having teeth to engage the ratchet rack of theshank, said pawl having a finger piece extension rigid therewith andextending therefrom across the shank below the shiftable jaw, and havinga free end portion extending substantially parallel with the shank, saidpawl and its finger piece extension being in the form of a singlememher, and resilient means for yieldingly maintaining the pawl inengagement with the ratchet rack of the shank.

,2. A wrench comprising a shank having a ratchet rack thereon, a fixedjaw on the shank, a shiftable jaw on the shank provided with a recesstherein extending to an outer side face thereof, a manually operatedpawl pivotally mounted at its upper end in the recess in the shiftablejaw and having teeth to engage the ratchet rack of the shank, said pawlhaving a recess, a spring plate to yieldingly hold the pawl inengagement with the ratchet rack of the shank, said'spring plate beingdisposed within the first mentioned recess of the shiftable jaw at theopen side of the recess adjacent the outer face of the shiftable jaw andat the outer side of the holding pawl, one end of said spring platebeing secured in the said recess of the pawl and the opposite end of thespring plate bearing against a part of the shiftable jaw adjacent therecess therein.

In testimony whereof I hereunto subscribe my name.

LUDWIG WVERLE.

